Sean Lee feels new contract is “extremely fair” regarding his injury history

Posted by Josh Alper on August 22, 2013, 8:32 AM EST

AP

Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee signed a six-year extension with the Cowboys on Wednesday after making 21 starts in his first three NFL seasons.

A toe injury ended his 2012 season after six games and Lee’s had assorted other injuries in both college and the pros that have led some to wonder about the wisdom of such a lengthy extension. The deal is structured with an eye on that injury history, however, as Albert Breer of the NFL Network reports that Lee will have to play 80 percent of the defensive snaps in a season to boost his salary from $7 million to $8.5 million.

“Obviously I’ve had injuries and I’ve said I need to find a way to stay on this field,” Lee said, via the team’s website. “And the contract is extremely fair. If I’m on the field the whole year, I’ll be able to get paid. But if I do have injuries, it protects the Cowboys and I think that’s fantastic, especially with the injuries I’ve dealt with in the past. Hopefully I’ll find a way to be on the field every single year. That’s my goal. So I think it’s extremely fair.”

Based on the level of play we’ve seen from Lee since joining the Cowboys, it’s hard to argue with that. If he’s healthy, the $8.5 million salary will put him among the best-paid inside or middle linebackers in the league and that’s a group that Lee can rightly call home. If he doesn’t, the guaranteed money (a little more than $16 million) isn’t so onerous that the team couldn’t move in a different direction.

It’s interesting; the guaranteed contracts / money the NBA and MLB players unions/associations have vs. the pay for production contracts of the NFL players association. It seems backwards to me. If any professional athlete deserves guaranteed money it’s the professional football player (and NHL player). The physical toll on their body, by a wide margin, is greater than that of the NBA and MLB player combined. The length of career for an NFL player, again by a wide margin, is far less than that of either the NBA or MLB player. Obviously, the money made playing in any of the four major professional sports leagues in this country (NFL, NHL, NBA, MLB) is extraordinary by the stretch of anyone’s imagination… but relatively speaking, the NFL players are getting the short end of the stick.

I love Lee as a player but because of his injury history, the position he plays and my reasoning that no other team would pay him as much makes it a bad signing. You need to pay QB’s tackles, pass rushers and corners and still have enough left over for free agents and signings like this one hinder that.

Darren McFadden with the same injury history as Lee, turned down a contract extension with the Raiders. Lee was smart to take it, and 7 million is a lot of money to pay someone part time because of injuries. I was glad McFadden turned the Raiders down. I think the Cowboys will wish Lee turned them down too.

This is a good deal. It’s worth the risk if he stays healthy he’s the best LB in the NFL in my opinion if he gets hurt ur not stuck paying him forever. It’s better then letting him walk and becoming a Pro bowler somewhere else. So don’t be stupid cowboys haters this was a smart move

Anybody who says this is a gamble or he doesn’t deserve this contract (injuries aside) is insane.

Have you watched this guy play? I don’t mean in passing as you’re walking past the TV with your wife in Sears on a Sunday afternoon. I mean really watch him play? He is an absolute game changer. I’ll take him over any LB in the NFL.

osiris33 says:
Aug 22, 2013 10:10 AM
Typical Cowboys; spend a ton of money on an LB who gets blown up by 5’9″ receivers
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He’s obviously a solid LB and nice to see your only criticism is a blind sided cheap shot by Tate that cost the Seahawks 15 yards and it should have been a suspension for his comments after the game.

Sean Lee has a great attitude with good skills but he’s undersized for the position he plays. That’s why he gets injured a lot. He simply doesn’t have the frame to hold up for a whole season.

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Really -he doesn’t have the frame? Anyone who understands the sport of football would know that he was playing above his normal weight because of the 3-4 defense which required him to take on O lineman – when you carry the extra weight it makes you more open to injury. He dropped weight and is faster and lighter and he doesn’t have to take on O lineman. Look for the Pro Bowl and defensive player of the year votes along with D-Ware.

paulsmith107 says:
Aug 22, 2013 8:47 AM
Great sign by Jerry. Best gm named Jerry in the NFC east Jerry Jones get that giants fans we are on the uptick you are on the decline. Dallas cowboys win the division by two games “BET ON IT”

As for that punk Tate – what can you say about a cheap shot artist who went head hunting – I’m surprised he didn’t go for the knee. And if Seahawks and Cowboys meet in the playoffs I would say that Tate better have his head on a swivel because 11 Cowboys will be looking for his a//.

Good ole Cowgirls, over paying for an injuring waiting to happen. 7 mil a year is to much for him, he is a solid mlb ,far from a beast. Still a better deal for them than what they did for Mr.Int Romo,lol. Can’t wait to see him choke again with the playoffs and divsion on the line, like usual.# HTTR

He’s missed 13 games in 3 years….10 of those games all came last year. These aren’t nagging injuries…he missed 10 games because he shredded the cartilage that holds the muscle that controls the big toe.

He’s never had foot problems. He’s missed more games than anybody wants him to, but he isn’t missing 6 games a season nursing the same knee injury or anything

Do any of you Cowboy haters know exactly who Sean Lee is without searching for him or reading this article? He’s probably one of the most solid LBs in the game. Yes, he gets hurt. But when he’s healthy… He’s the best. And he will fix his injuries. The passion that he has for the game, he will find every way to improve.